Core for driving pile shells



April 10, 1956 w. N. RIKER CORE FOR DRIVING FILE SHELLS S Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 1, 1952 llllllllli M INVENTOR. ME'REN N R/KER.

BY MMYW ATTORNEYS.

April 10, 1956 w. N. RIKER CORE FOR DRIVING FILE SHELLS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1, 1952 INVENTOR. m RREA/ N Elk 51?.

Ari 05 N516.

w. N. RIKER 2,741,093

CORE FOR DRIVING FILE SHELLS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 April 10, 1956 Filed March 1, 1952 mR/FEN N [F1 KER.

BY MM 2 A TTORNEVS.

United States Patent CORE FOR DRIVING PILE SHELLS Warren N. Riker, Tenafly, N. 1., assignor to Raymond Concrete Pile Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 1, 1952, Serial No. 274,439

3 Claims. (Cl. 6179) This invention relates to driving cores for driving pile shells and the like.

The core construction of this invention is well adapted for driving either so-called straight-sided pile shells of generally uniform diameter as well as so-called tapered pile shells, without relying on the use of plow rings which are often provided at the lower ends of such shells or shell sections to receive the impacts from the driving core and thus in efi'ect to pull the shells down into the earth. Instead, with the construction of the present invention, hose means are provided on a driving core for frictionally engaging the interior walls of the shell so that the forces of the impacts are distributed from the core directly to successive portions of the hose and thence throughout the length of the shell, and thus long shells of unusually thin sheet metal may be used and still be protected by the core against crushing or being tom apart by the application of any concentrated impacts.

Heretofore collapsible mandrel or driving core means have been used for this purpose in a form comprising a number of elongated segments or leaves interconnected by mechanical linkages and other parts, the leaves being adapted to be forced radially outwardly into frictional engagement with the interior walls of the shell as by means of an inflatable member extending axially along within the core. Such leaves or segments, however, provide a metal-to-metal engagement with the shell walls and are not well adapted to uniformly engage and distribute the impacts over the interior surfaces of helically corrugated shells or shells of irregular shapes, or which in driving may become distorted to somewhat irregular shape. Also the linkages and mechanism for expanding such metal segments may become jammed and rendered diflicult to properly maintain or operate.

According to the present invention the driving core preferably comprises a rigid central tube or other body portion on the exterior of which inflatable hose means is provided, the core with the hose means thereon in relatively flattened deflated condition being readily insertable into the pile shell and upon then inflating the hose means to a relatively more rounded cross-section, it will firmly engage frictionally substantially the entire interior surface areas of the shell, even though such surfaces may be corrugated or irregular, and in fact the inflated hose portions will grip or interlock with the corrugations and the core and thus positively apply and distribute the hammer impacts from the pile driving hammer quite uniformly over the surfaces of the shell walls.

Various further and more specific objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating by way of example the presently preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view, partially in section and partially broken away, showing a preferred form of driving core means of the invention as contained in a helically corrugated pile shell;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are sectional views taken substantially along lines 2-2, 3-3, and 44 respectively of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the structure of Fig. 1, but with the hose means and certain other parts removed;

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 respectively are sectional views taken substantially along lines 66, 7-7 and 8-8 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the invention; and

Figs. 10 and 11 respectively are sectional views taken substantially along lines 1010 and 11--11 of Fig. 9.

Referring now in further detail to Figs. 1 and 5, the main body portion of the driving core as here shown comprises a rigid tubular member 12 on which a plurailty of lengths of hose 13 (six in the example here shown) are helically wrapped and anchored at their lower ends to the member 12. The upper ends of the hose lengths are each connected to take-up devices 14. Each of the devices 14 as best shown in Figs. 1 and 8, preferably comprises a rectangular box-like structure with a vertical passage 15 (Fig. 5) through the mid-portion thereof. Stufiing box means as at 16 is threaded into the upper end of each of said passages, and in such stufling boxes stainless steel tubes as at 17 are slidably received. Male spud members 18 are threaded into the lower ends of the passages 15. Boss hose couplings 19 (Fig. l) of suitable known types detachably connect such spuds to the upper ends of the hose lengths. Thus a passage is provided from each hose up through the take-up devices and stuffing boxes through the tubes 17. The upper ends of these tubes are welded in position to extend up through a lower wall 20 of an annular manifold 21 which is otherwise closed except for a fluid pressure inlet 22 through which compressed air, carbon dioxide,

' nitrogen or other fluid under pressure may be introduced to inflate the hoses or released to deflate same. The inner edges of the upper and lower walls of the manifold or chamber 21 may be welded to the tubular member 12 as indicated in Fig. 5.

A plurality of take-up bolts as at 23 (preferably two such bolts for each of the take-up devices 14) are provided with nuts as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, for clamping said take-up devices at vertically adjustable positions, the upper ends of such bolts being secured as shown by nuts to extend up through fluid tight bushings 23 in the manifold 21.

It will be apparent that as the take-up devices 14 are adjusted vertically along the take-up bolts 23, the hose lengths will be put under variable longitudinal tension and the stufling box means 16 will still provide fluid-tight connections from the hoses to the manifold.

Below the take-up devices 14, a hose supporting guide means as at 25 is preferably provided. This may comprise upper and lower plate members 26 and 27 shaped as shown in Fig. 7 and secured as by welding to the tube 12 at the desired elevation thereon. At each of the places where one of the hoses is to be guided and supported, a sheet metal member as at 28 of semicircular cross-section is positioned and welded at its upper and lower ends respectively to the plates 26 and 27. Each of the members 28 is also suitably curved to conform to the helical curvature of the hoses. These members may be formed by first winding a metal tube in the shape of a helix of suitable size, then cutting suitable areas of the sheet metal tubing from the inner portions of such helix. Thus members 28 will be of appropriate shape to guide the upper ends of the helically wound hoses when same are placed under tension without any tendency to cut into the hose fabric or rubber. The plate members 26 and 27 may also be strengthened by a plurality of vertical plate members as at 36, welded in position there-between.

Plate 26 has holes 26 topermit the lower ends of bolts 23 to pass therethrough when necessary.

The upper end of the core member 12- is adapted to receive and be surmounted by a head portion 31 against which hammer impacts from a pile driving hammer are suitably applied.

The lower portions of the tubular member 12 preferably have welded thereto a plurality of metal rods or spacer bars as at 33, each preferably of circular cross section and so positioned along between the hose lengths as to keep the latter in their correct relative positions and to impart the force of the blows received by the core, directly to successive portions of the hoses and thence to the pile shell.

The lower ends of each hose length may be clamped in position as shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 4, by sheet metal members 34, through which clamping bolts as at 3d pass into the wall of tube member 12.

At the lower part of Fig. l a helically corrugated pile shell is indicated at S having a boot portion 36 of any suitable type, secured to and closing the bottom end thereof. The lower end of the core tube 12 may be closed by a circular plate 37 welded thereto.

if desired, guide means as at 37a (Fig. 8) may be welded onto tube 12 to extend out for slidable tongueand-groove like engagement with each pair of devices 14 to retain same in proper alignment.

With the hose lengths properly adjusted by trial with suitable tension by means of the take-up devices, it is possible to slip a corrugated or other pile shell easily over the core with ample clearance and then to expand the hoses by supplying pneumatic pressure through the inlet 22, thus to inflate the hoses so that they apply powerful gripping forces against the interior walls of the shell,

such forces being widely distributed as above noted, de' 7 spite any variations in the contour of the shell walls such as corrugations or otherwise. And upon releasing the pneumatic pressure after the shell has been driven, the hose lengths will readily collapse, again leaving ample clearance to permit the core assembly to be withdrawn without danger of binding or jamming, even if the shell may at places have become somewhat distorted during the driving operation.

By recently developed methods, pile shells of great length and yet of quite thin sheet metal may be lowered into, and driven in place in holes which have been preexcavated by wet drilling. The core construction of the present invention is particularly well adapted for use in such cases and with assurance that the thin metal of the shell will be firmly supported against internal crushing, but without any concentrated forces or impacts thereon which might rupture the sheet metal.

An alternative arrangement of the hose lengths is shown in Fig. 9. With this arrangement a plurality of hose lengths 46 (for example six) are positioned vertically about the exterior walls of a central tubular member 41. In order to hold such hose lengths in position on the core, they may at spaced positions he embraced'by retaining rings as at 42 (or a ring 42' at their upper ends) under which the hoses are threaded when being put into place. Such rings 42 are supported on the tube member 41 by means of spacer bars 43 as indicated in Fig. 11. The ring-like portions 42; should be of a diameter large enough to permit the hoses to pass thereunder without being fully collapsed and closed 05 at these points, yet

these rings should be small enough to permit the assembly readily to be lowered into a pile shell with ample clearance. I

The lower ends of the hoses 4i may be secured in the same manner as with the embodiment of Fig. l and in other respects the construction and operation of the embodiment of Fig. 9 will be readily understood from the above description, the upper ends of the hose being provided with the same system of adjustable stufiing boxes and take-up means.

Although certain particular embodiments of the invention are herein disclosed for purposes of explanation, various further modifications thereof, after study of this specification, will be apparentto those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Reference should accordingly be had to the appended claims in determining the scope of the invention.

What is claimed and desired tobe secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A core construction for driving pile she] lcomprising in combination, a rigid core body member having upper and lower ends, and a plurality of lengths of inflatable hose extending along on the exterior of said member, the lower end of each hose length beingclosed and secured to a lower part of said member, a take-up device secured to the upper end of each hose length for subjecting same to adjustable lengthwise tension, a plurality of means at spaced positions on said member for retaining the hose lengths in position and acting to cause the force of the blows received by the core member to be distributed and directly transmitted to successive portions of each hose and thence to the pile shell, and connecting means at the upper end of each hose length for bringing same into communication with a source of fluid pressure. I

2. A core construction or driving pile shells, comprising in combination, a rigid core body member having upper and lower ends, and a plurality of lengths of infiatable hose helically wrapped about said member, means securing the lower portions of such hose with respect to said body member, means at the upper ends, of such hose for adjustably securing same in position and for tensioning same lengthwise, and connections at said upper ends for introducing andreleasing fluid to inflate and permit deflation of the hose.

3. A core construction for driving pile shells, comprising in combination, a rigid body member having upper and lower ends, a plurality of hose lengths of normally relatively flat cross-section on the exterior thereof, a fluid pressure manifold at the upper part of said member, connections for conveying fiuid under pressure from said manifold to each of said hose lengths to inflate same to a more rounded cross-section for frictional engagement with the interior of a pile shell, take-up means for said,

hoseleugths, and stuffing box means forming parts of said connections and permitting slidable movement of said take-up means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 452,854 Smith May 26, 1891 2,313,625 Cobi Mar. 9, 1943 2,334,386 Cortella Nov. 16, 1943 2,598,455 Smith May 27, 1952 

